Typewriting machine



A. G. KUPETZ TYPBWRITING MACHINE Filed Oct.

Nov. 3, 1925.

HIIIIIULIHI Patented Nov. 3, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADOLPH G. KUPETZ, OF NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO UNDERWOOD TYPE- WR-ITER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

TYPEWR-ITING MACHINE.

Application filed October 6, 1922.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ADOLPH G. KUPI-LTZ, a citizen of the United States, residing in New Rochelle, in the county of lVestchester and State of New York, have invented eertain new and useful Improvements in Typewriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to typewriting machines, and more particularly to typewritmachines especially adapted for the writing of bills for telephone service, in which operation it is required to type separately the amounts of United States taxes. The invention, however, is useful with or withou modifications for other purposes.

In the typing of telephone bills, it is desired not only to type the tax item separately, but also to indicate the total of the tax items for a day, or other period, and one of the features of the present invention relates to securing such totals. In addition to the number-keys which are usually provided on a typewriting machine, there is provided a special key to type the number 5, and another special key to type the number 10. These two special keys are used for no other purpose, so that although they are used for addition, still much of the adding mechanism which is commonly used in combined typewriting and adding machines can be omitted. The special 5 key is connected to operate a register, such as the well-known Veeder cyclometer, and the special 10 key is connected to operate another. such register. In this manner, the number of times that each of these special keys is operated during the day is counted. At the conclusion of the day, therefore, it is only necessary to multiply the number seen in the first register by .05 and the number seen in the second register by .10 and to add the two numbers together in order to determine the total tax payment for the day.

The register of the form used is provided with an operating arm arranged to operate the number-wheels on the upstroke, and has means for clearing the register when desired. As the operating arm reaches its upper limit of movement, a series of stops is swung into engagement with the number wheels to prevent their further advance. According to the present invention, the connections from the special number-keys are arranged to maintain the operating arms Serial No. 592,682.

of the registers normally at their upper limits of movement, whereby these stops are normally maintained in engagement with the numberavheels, and serve as locking means for preventing turning of the wheels by persons unacquainted with the machine.

The depression of the special numberkeys depresses the operating arms of the reg isters to condition them for advancing the number-wheels on their return strokes. Spring means are provided to return the operating arms to their normal elevated positions and in so doing to operate the counting mechanism. Since it is necessary to depress the operating arm of a re ister, in order to unlock its number-wheels to permit the register-clearing means to be operated, it will be evident that a unit will be run into the wheels directly after they have been operated to clear the register, by the restoration of the operating arm to normal position. Ordinarily, in a register of the form used, a detent is provided for co-operating with the register-clearing shaft to arrest its movement when the wheels have all been restored to zero. In accordance with the present invention, the detent and the clearing shaft are so arranged that the movement of the shaft is arrested with the number-wheels standing at 9. \Vhen the operating arm is permitted to rise to normal position, therefore, the running in of a unit will turn all the wheels to zero.

It is a well-known fact that the touch of an experienced typist is a sharp staccato blow of the finger and that the finger never follows the key to the bottom of its stroke; and that the impact of the finger transmits suflicient impetus to the type-bar to carry the bar to the printing position after the finger has left the key, thus enabling the operator to remove the finger and not retard the return stroke of the key lever. Every typist is more or less erratic in manipulation of the keys, harder blows are delivered by some fingers than others, and while these variable blows will vary the forward velocity of the type-bar, the return movement of the type-bar will always be uniformly the same through their restoring springs. here registering elements are connected direct to the type-printing elements and operated by the down stroke of the numeral key-levers. such an arrange ment effects the touch of these keys, and

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requires full-stroke devices to insure full depression of the keys, and when the registering elements are conditioned so that three or more elements are at the carrying-over position simultaneously, the quick down stroke of the key subjects the light, delicate carrying-over parts to excessive stress and actual distortion.

To prevent possible abuse of this character, the present invention provides that the down stroke of the key l'ever shall idly vibrate the driving arts for the registering wheels. and that the full return key stroke shall be greater than what is required to operate the register wheels, and thus provide for a very large margin of safety in a loss of motion between the initial return movement of the hey-lever and the point where move ment is conveyed to the register wheels, and thus insure a full and positive co-operation between the driving pawls and the teeth of the register wheels. This is an important feature of the present invention.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of the front portion of an Underwood typewriting machine, showing the present improvements applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a sectional front elevation of a portion of the machine, showing the specia lrevs and their connections to the registers.

Figure 3 is a vertical, sectional view oi one of the registers, showing the parts in the positions which they occupy with the operating arm in normal elevated position and the register standing away from zero.

Figure 4 is a viewsimilar to Figure 3,

showing the parts in the positions which they occupy with the operating arm fully depressed.

Figure 5 is a'vertical, sectional view of a register, showing the register-clearing shaft in the position occupied when the wheels stand at 9.

Figure '6 is a plan view of the keyboard of the typewriting machine, showing the special 5 and 10 keys with their connections to the registers.

Figure 7 is a vertical, sectional view, showing a number-wheel and the mechanism for moving it in clearing the register.

The typewriting machine comprises the usual keys 11, which depress key-levers 12, to operate bell-cranks 18, to throw type-bars i l up to strike rearwardly against av platen, which is mounted upon a carriage (not shown). In acldition to the usual numberkeys and the usual alphabet-keys, there are provided special keys marked 5 and 410, which are preferably at the right-hand side of the keyboard. There are mounted on the machine two registers and 16, which are. in general, of the type of the well-known neaasse Veeder cyclometer. Each comprises number-wheels '17 and an arin 18 for operating the wheels, and also a finger-piece 19, which is used in clearing the register. These registers are operated, respectively, by the special 5 and 10keys.

To enable the 5 key to operate the register 15, there is connected to the key-stem a pendent link 20 to drive down a crank-arm 21 which is mounted upon a rock-shaft 22. This rock-shaft is journaled in a bracket 23 which is secured to the frame 24: of the typewriting machine, and is connected by means of a second crank-arm 25 and a link 26 to the operating rm 18 on the register 15. A spring 27 serves to maintain the operating a in 18 of the register in its normal elevated position from which it may be moved idly down by a subsequent depression of the key, preparatory to a counting operation.

The operating arin 18 is connected to and oscillates a yoke 28, upon which is mounted a pivoted rod 29 having' a series of teeth or pawls 30 fixed upon it, 'and impelled to ward the number-wheels 17 by a spring 31;, for co-operation with ratchet-teeth 32 and intervening shallow and deep notches 33 and 34 on the number-wheels in a well-known manner to advance the wheels. The ar rangement of the parts is such that the pawls 30 will be retracted substantially more than aratchet-tooths space by a full depression or the number-key, and will be retr'a.ct-

wheels, and are caused to engage the teeth 32- thereof as the operating arm reaches the upper lunlt of its movement. Smce this is the normal position of the arm 18, these stops are normally in engagement with the ratchet-teeth 32 "on the number-wheels and prevent their being advanced. The usual series of pawls 44 is loosely mounted upon a shaft 41-5, and these pawls are maintained constantly in engagement with the teeth 32 of the number-wheels by springs 46-, to lock the number-wheels against retrograde movement. It will be. apparent that the numberwheels are locked against movement ineither direction, in the normal position of the operating arm 18.

A shaft i? for turning the nrunber-Wheels in clearing the register 15 is connected to the finger-piece 19 for rotation thereby; and has fixed upon it a series of one-toothed disks 18, one for each number-wheel. Each numberwheel carries a pawl 49 pressed by a spring 50 into engagement with one of the disks l8 on the shatt i1 7. Rotation ot theshatt in a counterclockwise direction, as seen in Figure T, will cause the teeth of the disks 48 carried thereby to engage the pawls 49 on the umber-wheels, and turn the wheels.

Such turning is only possible, of course, when the operating arm 19 is depressed. A detent 51 is pressed by a spring into engagementwith a cam 53 fixed on the shaft e7. This cam 53 is provided with a notch 5%, into which the detent 51 drops to arrest the rotation ot the shaft 4.? when the 9s are visible through the sight-opening 55 ot the register. Restoration of the operating arm 18 to normal raised position runs a unit into the wheels, bringing all the wheels to zero, and locks them in that position.

The 10 key is connected to the operating arm 18 of its register by mechanism similar to that described in connection with the 5 key, comprising a link 56, an arm 57, a rock shaft 58, a second arm 59 and a second link 60, so that. when the special 10 key is depressed, the operating arm 18 of the second register is depressed. and, upon its return, the units wheel of the register is operated, and the figure l is exhibited. A spring 61 etiects this movement of the parts to operate the register.

Both registers, together with their operating mechanism, may be mounted upon the bracket 23 which is secured by screws 6:2 or otherwise to the side wall of the frame 24 of the typewriting machine.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a typewriting machine, a numberkey for printing a number, a register for counting the operations of the key, comprising number-wheels, an operating arm for the register movable to operate the register on the up stroke of the arm, connections between the number-key and the op erating arm normally maintaining the operating arm at the upper limit of its movement, means for locking the number-wheels against advance in the normal position of the operating arm, and movable to release the number-wheels while the operating arm is held depressed, register-clearing mechanism for turning the number-wheels to clear the register, and means for arresting the operation of the register-clearing mechanism with the number-wheels standing at 9, so that they will be restored, to upon release of the key.

2. In a typewriting machine, a numberkey, a register comprising number-wheels for counting the operations of the numberkey, normally maintained in a locked eondiliion when the number-key is in normal position, connections bet-ween the numberkey and the register for unlocking the register while the key is held depiu. ed, register-clearing mechanism tor turning the numher-wheels, and means tor arresting the operation ot the register-clearing mechanism with the number-wheels standing at 9, so that they will be restored to 0 upon the release of the key.

-3. In a typcwritin machine, a numberkey, a register comprising number-wheels for counting the operations of the numberkey, normally maintained in a locked condition, an operating arm tor the register arranged to unlock the register while more l and held at an abnormal position, and during such movement to condition the register for counting a unit upon the return of the arm to normal position, means for antomatically returning the arm to normal position when it is released, register-clean ing mechanism, and means for arresting the operation of the register-clearing mechanism with the number-wheels standing at 9, so that they will be restored to l upon the release ot the key.

-1 In a typewriting machine, a numberkey, a register comprising number-wheels for counting the operations of the number key. normally maintained in a locked condition, an operating arm for the register arranged to unlock the register while moved and held at an abnormal position, and during such movement to condition the register to count a unit upon the return of the arm to normal position, means for automatically returning the arm to normal position when it is released, a register-clearing handle, a shaft rotatable by the handle to ad vance the wheels in clearing the register, a notched disk on the shaft, and a detent cooperating with the disk to arrest the turning of the shaft with the number-wheels standing at 9, so that they will be restored to 0 upon the release of the key.

5. In a typewriting machine, a numberkey, register comprising number-wheels for advancing a unit each time that the number-key rises after being depressed, the number-wheels being locked against movement except while the number-key is held depressed, register-clearing mechanism for turning the numbenwheels, and means for arresting their turning movement with the wheels standing at 9, so that they will be restored to 0 upon the release of the key.

6. In atypewriting machine, a numberkey, a register comprisin number-wheels and operating mechanism t ieret'or arranged to be conditioned for operation during the whole interval of the depression of the number-key, and to be operated on the return of the nnmberkey to normal position, register-clearing means operable only while the number-key is held depressed, and means for arresting the operation of the registerclearing means with the number-wheels standing at 9, so that they vill be restored to 0 upon the release of the key.

7. In a typewriting machine, a numberkey, a register for counting the operations of the number-key, comprising wheels, means for advancing the number-wheels in counting, a clearing shaft, means for turning the clearing shaft, a stop for positive- 1y arresting the rotation of the turning means with the number-wheels at 9, and means for automatically running a digit movement into the register prior to typing, to advance the number-wheels to 0.

8. In a typewri-ting machine, a numberkey for printing a number, a register for counting the operations of the key, comprising number-wheels, an operating arm for the register movable to operate the register on the rip-stroke of the arm, a spring'normally maintaining the operating arm at the upper limit of its movement, connections between the number-key and the operating arm for depressing the operating arm, means for locking the number-wheels against advance when the operating arm is in normal position and movable to release the 11umberwl1eels when the arm is depressed, register-clearing mechanism for turning the number-wheels to clearthe register, and means for positively arresting the operation of the register-clearin mechanism with the number-wheels standing at 9, so that they will be restored to 0 upon release of the arm.

9, In a typewriting machine, a number hey, a register comprising number-wheels for counting the operations of the numberkey on the rip-stroke thereof, normally maintained in a locked condition when the number-key is in normal position, connections between the number-key and the register for unlocking the register when the key is depressed, register-clearing mechanism for turning the inimber-whcels when the key is depressed, and means for positively arresting the operation of the register-clearing mechanism with the number-wheels standing at 9, so that they will be restored to 0 upon the release of the key and its res toration to normal position.

10. In a typewriting machine, a numberkey, a register comprising number-wheels and operating mechanism therefor arranged to be prepared for operation by the depression of the number-key and to be operated on the return of the number-key to normal position, register-clearing means operable only when the number-key is depressed, and means for positively arresting the operation of the register-clearing means with the numher-wheels standing at 9.

ADOLPH' G. KUPETZ. 

